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Sunday, November 18, 2007
Find YOUR 2008 Presidential Candidate
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Saturday, November 17, 2007
Sleeping Around - What's the best inflatable mattress?
Posted Thursday, Nov. 15, 2007, at 7:31 AM ET
Sleep and I have an awkward, on-again, off-again relationship. I'm slow to fall asleep, quick to wake up, and picky about my bed. Like most people, a night of bad snoozing inevitably ruins my day. That goes double during the holiday season, when I travel between friends and family, sleeping on their pull-out couches, floors, extra beds, and air mattresses.
Oh, the air mattresses. They bring up such painful memories—like the time when, as a college student between apartments, I spent a month sleeping on one. But I had to overcome my bitterness toward them recently, when my boyfriend and I moved into our tiny one-bedroom apartment. We bought a couch, some kitchen stuff, a coffee table, and, for my boyfriend, a Nintendo Wii. As friends and family begin to visit, however, it became clear we were missing something: a comfortable place for them to sleep. I needed to get over my deep-seated resentment and buy an air mattress that could give my guests a peaceful night's sleep—and leave them looking forward to their next visit.
Methodology
I tested six full-sized air mattresses, ranging in price from $34.97 to $259.99 (lowest prices found are listed for each). I selected mattresses that didn't require me to purchase a pump separately—they either came with a built-in pump or could be inflated using a hair dryer. I spent one night on each (two nights on some that required additional testing), setting each up in my living room to better reflect the overnight-guest experience. I evaluated them on two criteria:
1) Ease of Use (10 possible points): You usually find yourself on an air mattress after traveling, eating too much, drinking too much, socializing, or generally wearing yourself out. When it's late and I'm tired, I don't want to fumble with an instruction manual. Is it a cinch to set up? Does it inflate quickly and (relatively) quietly? Can I fold it up and store it easily when I'm done? My apartment is small, so I need an air mattress that doesn't take up lots of precious closet space.
2) Snooze or Lose (10 possible points): Does it make my back ache or wake me up with squeaking noises every time I toss and turn? Does it deflate in the middle of the night? Is it easy to adjust the air volume so I can get the firmness I want? And, most of all—does it allow for a good night's sleep?
Here are the results, from sleeping like a baby's crying to sleeping like a baby:
Coleman 4-in-1 Quickbed, $39.99
This cheap air mattress is meant for the great outdoors, not the living-room floor. Despite the name, there are only three ways to set it up: You can split it into two twin beds, zip them together for one king-sized bed, or stack them on top of each other for a raised twin bed. As I began to set up the bed, I smirked—using twin beds to create one king-sized bed reminded me of 1950s sitcoms (and apparently is still an option for some couples).
It doesn't come with a pump, so at bedtime, I whipped out the hair dryer. (Using a blow dryer is safe, as long as you use it on the cool setting.) The dryer did the bulk of the work, but I had to sub in and finish it up with my lungs. Unfortunately, the zipper that holds the twin beds together is pretty flimsy, and they drifted apart during the night, creating a little gulf that I somehow kept rolling into. The gap and the gushiness of the beds, which kept losing air, combined to give me a terrible night's sleep. I'd like to take this opportunity to offer an open apology to my co-workers, fellow Metro riders, and anyone else I came into contact with the next day, when I was unreasonably cranky. The only upside to the Coleman Quickbed is that it's lightweight and easy to store. That means it won't take up much room in my trash can.
Ease of Use: 4 (out of 10)
Snooze or Lose: 1 (out of 10)
Total: 5 (out of 20)
Wenzel Insta-Bed, $34.97
Like the Coleman, the Wenzel Insta-Bed doesn't come with an air pump, so out came the blow dryer again. Unlike the Coleman, Wenzel does offer a tiny hand pump, that, while too small to inflate the entire mattress, allows you to make small firmness adjustments. The hand pump works, but it was awkward to use—the up-and-down pumping movement felt like CPR, which I haven't attempted since 10th-grade health class.
It took me a very long time to fall asleep. In all fairness, maybe it wasn't the Insta-Bed's fault. It could have been the headache I nursed all day, but sleep just didn't come. I spent an hour or more tossing and turning, unable to get comfortable on my uninviting bed. The next morning, it took a while to deflate—as I got ready for work, I had to periodically stomp on the bed to rid it of extra air. It was easy to fold up and lightweight, making it storable. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with a satchel or bag for storage or transport. Bottom line: I'd only offer this mattress to guests I secretly don't like.
Ease of Use: 6
Comfort: 6
Total: 12
Aerobed Premier Comfort Zone, $159
Finally, a comfortable, easy-to-set-up air mattress! Its built-in electrical pump made inflation quick and easy, without any snags or incidents. (One minor complaint is the noisy pump—you would want to inflate it before any little ones go to bed, because it would surely wake them up.) A control panel connected via wire to the air pump—much like that of a hospital bed—let me adjust the firmness while still reclining. I fell asleep quickly, cushioned by the "comfort zone coils" that approximate those of a real mattress. The mattress stayed firm and full overnight. In the morning, my right shoulder was sore. Was it the air mattress's fault? Perhaps. But when I gave the Aerobed a second try, I again woke up feeling stiff and poorly rested. I was also irritated by the air mattress's height. It's just a few inches off the ground, which makes getting up in the middle of the night an awkward proposition—particularly if there's someone sleeping next to you. Deflating this one was easy enough, but it was a little cumbersome to fold up and store. I was especially picky with this one because of the steep price. There are more affordable options out there with friendlier price tags.
Ease of Use: 7
Snooze or Lose: 7
Total: 14
Air Cloud Pillowtop Full-Size Air Bed With Remote , $69.99
Like Lindsay Lohan's career, this air mattress started out with great potential but ended up a disaster. It was very easy to set up: Plug it in and hold down the "inflate" button. An inflate/deflate remote allowed me to adjust the firmness, and I appreciated the little side-pocket caddy to nestle the remote in. I went to bed happy, convinced I'd finally get a good night's slumber. But overnight, I got a sinking feeling. And by feeling, I mean I was really sinking, to the point where I could feel the floor beneath the mattress. I fumbled for the remote and inflated it again. A few hours later, I had to repeat the inflation process. At 5 a.m., on the floor yet again, I gave up and headed to my sweet bed. In the morning, I checked the mattress for obvious tears or a loose valve. No luck. The users' manual admitted that this kind of repeated deflation might happen the first night. And apparently, I'm not the only one who has had problems with the mattress losing air. I believe in second chances, so I gave the Air Cloud another shot. I inflated it early in the day and lounged on it on a Saturday afternoon while watching football, reading, and working. It leaked a little, but not too much. When bedtime came, I had some serious doubts, but the mattress stayed firm all night. I'm truly puzzled by the fact that this air mattress has an obvious defect the manufacturer refuses to address—deflating with the first use. My sleep was high-quality the second time around, but the first-use woes mean that you can't pick this air mattress up last-minute.
Ease of Use: 9
Snooze or Lose: 6
Total: 15
Home Trends Raised Air Mattress With Built-In Pump, $48.73
Sleeping snob that I am, the low price of this Wal-Mart-manufactured mattress made me suspect that it wouldn't be a good sleeping experience. But despite its affordable cost (which usually means no-frills), the Home Trends Raised Air Mattress comes with a built-in, automatic pump that you can plug in to inflate the bed with ease in just two minutes. It even features a cute little compartment where you can store the electrical cord. The pump is a bit strange—it comes with a dial you have to flip around to inflate and deflate. On the plus side, the bed is also the lightest of the pump-containing air mattresses, which is particularly surprising because it inflates to the height of a normal bed—24 inches.
I slept very well that night, since the mattress stayed fully inflated through the morning. I had no problems rolling it up and sticking it into the little carry bag that accompanies the mattress. It's perfect for travel, and at that low price, you don't have to be overly protective of it. That'll teach me not to judge a product by its price tag.
Ease of Use: 9
Comfort: 9
Total: 18
AeroBed Premier Comfort Zone Raised, $259.99
For the most part, the AeroBed Premier Comfort Zone Raised is exactly like its cheaper brethren, the AeroBed Premier Comfort Zone. It has the same internal mechanical pump, the firmness-adjustment remote, "comfort zone coils," etc. But this one, like the Home Trends mattress, is the height of a regular bed. I fell asleep quickly and got some high-quality shut eye. When my alarm went off, I hit the snooze button to continue enjoying the experience—and I never do that.
This product's only downside? It's bulky. It takes up plenty of room in my closet, and it's heavy, making it difficult to cart around. But we have a winner. I'd rather have a comfortable bed to offer my guests than space to store a few extra pairs of shoes any day. I liked the AeroBed Premier Comfort Zone Raised so much that I offered it up to a friend who visited me for four days. She had been traveling for two weeks before stopping by my place—crashing on couches, hotel beds, and floors. She, too, was pleased with the air mattress, noting that her sleep on this Aerobed was the first good night's rest she'd had in a while. Family and friends, come on over—the sleeping's fine.
Ease of Use: 9
Snooze or Lose: 10
Total: 19
What programs do you load after a clean Windows install?
When I brought home my shiny new laptop running Windows Vista Home Premium earlier this year, I didn't know how lucky I was. My new PC shut down when I asked it to, slept when I closed the lid, and didn't cause glitches every time I started playing audio.
After spending some time pulling my hair out trying to get to the bottom of things, I figured the easiest way to solve some of my problems would be just to do a clean install of Windows. While programs like CCleaner are great for dusting the cobwebs of your windows registry, nothing works as well as reformatting the hard drive.
Of course, this was also an excellent opportunity to make sure I have a good backup of all my important data files, and to download and install just the applications that are most important to me in daily life. So after the jump is a list of the applications I started loading on my PC after restoring Windows. We'd love to know what programs you can't live without and what are the first things you load on a new PC?
Security applications
- AVG Free (anti-virus)
- Windows Defender (anti-spyware)
Graphics and video applications
- Irfanview (image viewer/editor)
- Media Player Classic (movie player)
- Quicktime Alternative
- RealAlternative
- AllCapture (screencasting application)
Office applications
- OpenOffice.org (office suite)
- AbiWord (A great light-weight word processor for when you don't need all of OpenOffice.org 's features)
- Microsoft Outlook (mostly for synchronizing data with my Windows Mobile PDA)
- Windows Mobile Device Center (for syncing with my PDA)
Audio applications
- Audacity (audio editor)
- Cool Edit 2000 (yeah, I know, old school, but I've had a licensed copy lying around for years)
- Reaper (audio editor)
- Winamp (no, really)
- Juice (podcast aggregator)
- WinLAME (audio compression utility)
- Levelator (excellent tool for making your audio recordings sound good)
- Sandboxie (lets you install applications in an isolated environment)
- 7-Zip (compression utility)
- Absolute Uninstaller (alternative to Windows uninstaller
- doPDF (install a virtual printer that lets you print any document as a PDF)
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Build a Hackintosh Mac for Under $800 [Hack Attack]
Sent to you by J. Todd via Google Reader:
via Lifehacker by Adam Pash on 11/13/07
If the high price tag for Apple hardware has kept you from buying a Mac but you're willing to roll up your sleeves and get adventurous, you can build your own "Hackintosh"—a PC that runs a patched version of OS X Leopard. What?!, you say. Apple's move to Intel processors in 2006 meant that running OS X on non-Apple hardware is possible, and a community hacking project called OSx86 launched with that goal in mind. Since then, OSx86 has covered major ground, making it possible for civilians—like you and me!—to put together their own Hackintosh running Mac OS 10.5. Today, I'll show you how to build your own high end computer running Leopard from start to finish for under $800.
Right now the cheapest Mac on sale at the Apple store is a $600 Mac Mini sporting a 1.83GHz proc, 1GB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive. For $200 more, your Hackintosh can boast a 2.2GHz proc with 4GB of RAM, a 500GB drive, and a completely upgradeable case for expanding your setup in the future.
Building a DIY Mac requires some work on your part, so be ready to dedicate time to this project. To make things as easy as possible, I'm going to lay out how I built my Hackintosh from start to finish, from the hardware I used to the final patches I applied to the Leopard install. If you can build a Lego set and transcribe text, you've got all the basic skills required.
The Hardware
There's no definitive best bet for a Hackintosh hardware configuration, so you may be able to experiment and come up with a better selection of parts than I did. However, I can guarantee that Leopard will (or at least has) run successfully on this hardware setup.
To make things easy, I've put together my entire hardware setup as a wish list on Newegg. (You may notice that the total price is listed at around $850, but I knocked $110 off the price tag due to a couple of mail-in rebates—so "Under $800" it remains, however fudgingly.)
The build consists of a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a total of 4GB of RAM (four sticks at 1GB each), an ASUS P5W DH Deluxe motherboard, a GeForce 7300GT (the same basic video card that comes installed in the default Mac Pro configuration), a 500GB hard drive, a DVD burner, and an Antec Sonata case (which I've always liked for its looks and quiet fans). The motherboard is the most important element, since the patches we'll apply later are tailored specifically for this motherboard. You could probably tweak a lot of the other hardware without many complications, but if you stick with this motherboard and follow the installation instructions, you shouldn't see any major complications.
The Build
Now that you've got all the parts, it's time to start putting your Mac together. We've detailed every step of the computer building process at one point or another in the past here on Lifehacker, so rather than cover that ground again, I'll outline the process with links to our previous instructions. As always, be sure to read your hardware manuals before you begin—particularly from the motherboard—to get to know your hardware before you start the installation. Also, always remember to be careful of static electricity and always keep yourself grounded and your board unpowered until you're finished.- Install the motherboard and CPU: You can follow these instructions almost without variation, but the heatsink and fan installation, in particular, is a touch different. Rather than hooking the heatsink to your motherboard, the included Intel heatsink pops into place. For a more detailed description of how this works, consult your motherboard's manual and the manual included with your processor.
- Install your RAM: The only thing you need to keep in mind when you're installing the RAM is that you should install the matched pairs—that is, the pairs that come in the same package—in like colored slots. This isn't strictly necessary, but it's a good practice and generally means better performance.
- Install the video card: These instructions actually detail how to install a PCI card, which is just a more general way of looking at your video card. The card we're using is a PCI Express card and should be installed in the top (orange) PCI slot.
- Install the hard drive and DVD drive: Your hard drive is an SATA drive, which is not the type of drive installed in the instructions (though they do address SATA drives). Just connect one of the power supply's SATA power cables to the drive and then connect the drive to the red SATA connector on your motherboard (it's labeled on the board as SATA1). Follow the same basic instructions to install your DVD drive but plug the drive into one of the other SATA ports (I used the SATA4 port).
When you've finished putting everything together, your open case should look like the nearly completed image below. In that picture, I've yet to install the hard drive and DVD drive and I still need to connect the case power and other connectors to the motherboard. (You may install other features of the motherboard if you prefer, like the FireWire connector for the back of the case).
To make sure everything's working properly, close it up, plug it into a monitor and keyboard and power it up. If the computer boots into the BIOS (by pressing Delete when prompted), you're ready to move on. If the computer won't boot, you may have to open the case back up and double-check your installation. Among other things, be sure that your RAM is properly seated.
I should note that at this point of my installation, I ran into a bum power supply unit (PSU) in my case. Unfortunately that meant that I didn't know whether the PSU was bunk or my motherboard was fried, and since I don't own a voltage meter it took an extra trip to Fry's and some troubleshooting to get to the bottom of it. The point is that when you're building a PC yourself, you can and should be prepared to run into snags, so if you're not ready to troubleshoot if a problem arises, you may want to think twice before trying this. That said, I've built several PCs in the past and this was my major snag in the course of a build, so it's also very likely that your build could go off without a hitch.
Either way, as soon as you're able to boot into the BIOS, you're ready to get started with the pre-installation.
Pre-Installation
There are two things you need to tackle to prepare your computer for installation. First, you'll need to tweak your BIOS settings to properly work with the Leopard install. Second, you need to patch the Leopard DVD to install on your newly built Hackintosh computer.Tweak your BIOS: The first thing I did once my build was finished was update my BIOS, since the default BIOS wasn't properly recognizing my processor. Luckily doing so is pretty simple. Just head over to the ASUS download site, narrow down, and then download the latest BIOS for your motherboard. Once downloaded, just stick the file on a USB flash drive. Then boot up your build and enter the BIOS setup. Like I said above, power on your computer and hit Delete when prompted to boot into the BIOS.
Once you're there, arrow to the Tools tab of the BIOS, select EZ Flash2, and then hit Enter. Now choose your flash drive by tabbing to the appropriate drive, find the BIOS file you downloaded, and install it. When the BIOS has updated, your computer should automatically restart.
Now that you've updated your BIOS, you're ready to get into some nitty gritty preparation. If you plugged in your drives like I suggested during your build, you should see your hard drive and DVD drive listed in the BIOS as Third IDE Master and Fourth IDE Slave. (Don't worry about the fact that your hard drive isn't listed as the Primary IDE Master.) Arrow down to IDE Configuration and hit Enter.
In the IDE config, you want to set "Configure SATA As" to AHCI. Next hit Escape once to go back to the Main screen. Now hit the right arrow key to move to the Advanced tab. In the Advanced section go to "Onboard Devices Configuration" and set "JMicron SATA / PATA Controller" to Disabled.
Now you need to arrow over to the Boot tab to configure the boot priority (which tells your computer what order you want to boot off devices in your computer). Go to "Boot Device Priority" and set your DVD drive as priority one and your hard drive as priority two.
Done? Then you're ready to move onto patching your Leopard DVD.
Patch Leopard for your Hackintosh: There are a couple of different ways one could go about creating a patched Leopard DVD. The easiest is probably to download an already patched version using BitTorrent (I can attest to having seen the patched version floating around before Demonoid went under, but it's probably available elsewhere as well). The second method requires patching a Leopard DVD yourself, which isn't really as hard as it sounds.
If you decide to go the first route and you find a pre-patched version off BitTorrent, you can skip to the next section. Otherwise, let's get down to work. To patch the Leopard install disc, you'll need a Mac and a pre-patched image of the Leopard installer on your desktop. You can get this in two ways: Either by downloading the image—again with BitTorrent—or by buying and then ripping a Leopard DVD to your hard drive. Either way you choose, when you're finished you should place the ripped installer on your desktop and make sure that it's named osx-leopard105.dmg.
Now it's time to get patching. To do so, you need to grab the patch files (created by the resourceful OSx86 forum member BrazilMac, who bundled the patch files and whose instructions I followed for the installation), which you can download from one of many sources here under the "FILES FOR THIS GUIDE" section at the top of the page. After you've downloaded the zipped patch files, unzip the archive and drag all of the contents of the archive to your desktop (it should contain two files and three folders in total).
Now open the 9a581-patch.sh shell script in your favorite text editor. At the top of the file, replace XXX with your username on your Mac (so that it reflects the path to your current desktop). For example, mine would look like:
APDIR=/Users/adam/Desktop
DMG="/Users/adam/Desktop/osx-leopard105.dmg"While we're at it, let's edit the 9a581PostPatch.sh file as well. This time, edit the fourth and fifth lines at the top of the file to look like this:
PATCH="/Volumes/LeopardPatch/leopatch/" # path to the patched extensions
LEO="/Volumes/Leopard" # path to Leopard installationSave and close both files.
Finally, it's time to patch the DVD. Open up Terminal, type sudo -s, then enter your administrative password (your login password). The type cd Desktop and hit Enter. Now you're ready to apply the patch. Keep in mind that you'll need plenty of space on your hard drive to perform the patch. I had around 20GB of free space when I did it, though I'm sure you could get away with less. To execute the patch, type:
./9a581-patch.shand hit Enter. The patch will now execute, which means you've got some time on your hands. You've been working your ass off up until this point, though, so kick back and relax for a bit. I didn't have a clock on it, but I'm pretty sure the patch took at least an hour on my MacBook Pro.
If you have trouble with the patch and you've got less free space, try freeing up some hard drive space and trying again. When the patch has successfully completed, you should see a new file on your desktop: Leo_Patched_DVD.iso weighing in somewhere around 4,698,669,056 bytes. Now we've got to burn this image to a DVD.
Luckily the patch removes lots of unnecessary files so we've shrunk the almost 7GB install DVD to 4.38GB, just enough to fit on a single-layer DVD. To burn the image, insert a blank DVD, open up Disk Utility, select the Leopard_Patched_DVD.iso file in the sidebar, and then click the Burn button. Once it's finished, you're finally ready to proceed to the installation.
But just one more thing before you do. Copy the patch files that we just unzipped from your Desktop to a USB thumb drive and name the drive LeopardPatch. We'll need these files for the post-installation patch that we'll apply later.
Installation
If you've followed all of the steps up to this point, you should now be ready to fire up the patched Leopard install DVD. So power on your Hackintosh, insert the DVD, and let the boot process begin (you did remember to set the DVD drive as the first boot device, right?). You'll be prompted to press any key to start the installation or hit F8 for options. Hit F8.You'll now see the boot: prompt. Enter -v -x and press Enter. (Don't ask me why, but this is the only way the install DVD would boot for me. Not using these options caused the boot to hang indefinitely every time.) You should now see lots of text scrolling over your monitor. You may even see some daunting errors. Don't be alarmed; just let it continue. After several minutes, the graphical Leopard installer should be staring you in the face.
Format the install drive: I know that you're raring to install now that you're finally here, but there's one thing we need to do first: Format our hard drive so that it's prepared to receive the Leopard installation. So go to Utilities in the menu bar and select Disk Utility (if you don't have a working mouse yet, you can still access the menu bar from they keyboard). Once Disk Utility fires up, it's time to format the drive. Here's how:
- Select your hard drive in the left sidebar.
- Click on the tab labeled Partition.
- Select a 1 partition Volume Scheme, name the volume Leopard, and choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled) as the format.
- Last, click the Options button and choose Master Boot Record as the partition scheme.
Now that your drive is ready, so are you.
Install Leopard: This really is the easiest part—just follow the on-screen instructions and choose your newly created Leopard partition as the install destination. Then, before you make that final click on the Install button, click Customize and de-select Additional Fonts, Language Translations, and X11. These components were removed so we could fit everything on the patched DVD, so we won't be installing them now.
Now you're ready. Click install and grab a quick drink. In around 10 minutes, Leopard should have installed, leaving you with just one more step before you're running with the Leopard.
Post-Installation
After the installation completes, your computer will automatically restart. Unfortunately you're not ready to boot into Leopard just yet—you've got one thing left to do. So insert the thumb drive you copied the patches to and, just like last time, hit F8 when prompted by the DVD. Again, enter -v -x at the boot prompt and hit Enter. When the install disc finally loads, go to Utilities in the menu bar and select Terminal. It's time to apply the post-install patch. 
When terminal loads, type cd /Volumes/LeopardPatch at the prompt and hit Enter to navigate to the patch directory. Now, just like when you patched the install disc, type:
./9a581PostPatch.sh...and hit Enter. The script will move and copy files about (answer yes when prompted), and when it's finished, you'll be prompted to restart your computer. When your computer reboots this time, you're ready. It's time to boot into Leopard.
OSx86 on Your Hackintosh
Let your computer reboot, but be sure to leave the install DVD in the drive. When the DVD prompts this time, just let the countdown time out. When it does, your installation of Leopard will automatically boot up. You've done it!
From this point forward, you're running Leopard on your PC just as though you were running Leopard on a regular Mac. You'll be jubilantly welcomed in a handful of languages as if Steve Jobs himself is shaking your hand for a job well done. All of your hardware should work exactly as you'd expect. Your sound, networking, and video will all work off the bat. (I haven't tested the motherboard's built-in wireless yet, but it reportedly works.) Your iPods will sync flawlessly, and CDs and DVDs read and burn just as you'd expect.
On the software front, Mail, Address Book, iTunes, and everything else I've tried so far work flawlessly. Firefox is browsing, Quicksilver is doing it's thing, Spaces are rocking, Stacks are stacking, Cover Flow is flowing, and Quick Look is previewing. I haven't tried Time Machine yet, but the patch we used reportedly works with Time Machine as well.
But Really, How Does It Work?
I'm still stretching my legs in this new build, and I'm planning on bringing some benchmarks to the table soon so you have a better idea how this machine matches up to its Mac counterparts, but so far it's running like a champ. The only problem with the install at the moment is that it won't boot without the Leopard DVD in the DVD drive at boot—meaning that every time you reboot you'll need to make sure that the Leopard DVD is sitting in the DVD drive. It's not a dealbreaker for me by any means, but it's an annoyance. I've found one post suggesting a workaround at the OSx86 forums (near the bottom of the first post in the thread), but I haven't tried it yet. If and when I do, I'll be sure to post an update. And that's that. It's a chore to set up, to be sure, but it's also the most powerful Mac per dollar I've ever used. If you've got any experience building a Hackintosh of your own or you've got any questions, let's hear them in the comments.
Adam Pash is a senior editor for Lifehacker who loves a good hack and cherishes his Macintosh, so building a Hackintosh was a perfect fit. His special feature Hack Attack appears every Tuesday on Lifehacker. Subscribe to the Hack Attack RSS feed to get new installments in your newsreader.
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Lose Belly Fat
Yes! Of course it is! Don't give up! There is hope. The key is to understand how your body works and to have a comprehensive plan that you will execute over a reasonable period of time. Translation: this is not a quick fix. But, remember, it is doable! Take the turtle approach, slow and steady, and you'll get there.
Now it is true that fat cells don't disappear unless you surgically remove them. But you don't need to go that route because fat cells can shrink! You may think "Oh, boy, this is going to be difficult." It will take work, yes, but remember it's not impossible. There is a solution. You can trim your tummy. This is great news!
I've assembled a guide here that includes the best tips from my own personal experience as well as other experts in the fields of diet, exercise, and stress-management.
The tips below work best when combined as an overall program. The three areas we'll cover are diet, exercise, and anti-stress strategies. Get committed, create your personal plan, and you will lose your belly fat!
Diet Tips for Losing Belly Fat
If you want a sleeker tummy, then you'll want to lose weight overall and more specifically you'll want to lose fat. Spot reductions are not feasible. However if you carry most of the weight in your mid-section then the good news is that's where you will see the results first. Here are the tips for healthy dieting:
1. Weight Loss Plan.
- Calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate and figure out how many calories your body burns daily just sitting on a couch.
- Then add in the calories you burn with exercise and daily activity.
- Calculate your weight loss goal, time frame, and amount of calories you need to cut out daily to reach your goal.
2. What to Eat.
- Balanced Diet where your calorie breakdown follows these percentages approximately:
- 35% lean protein
- 35% high fiber carbohydrates (shoot for 25-30g fiber per day)
- 30% healthy fats (olive oil, flaxseed oil - bear in mind you can't cook with flaxseed oil, add it to salads or already steamed vegetables for flavor and other important nutrients)
- Eat lots of vegetable and fruits that have a low glycemic index. Here is a list of foods and their glycemix index. To reduce fat, steam your vegetables or stir fry in broth.
- Consider taking a CLA (Conjugated linoleic acid), 1000mg 3 times a day with meals. In studies CLA was shown to reduce body fat, in particular in the belly area. If you have diabetes or are at risk for diabetes, check with your doctor first.
- Eat organic meats which have lower saturated fat content and higher natural levels of CLA.
3. Resources.
- The Fat Flush Plan by Gittleman
- Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss by Dr. Joel Fuhrman: A diet plan based on eating highly nutritious, low calorie foods. (Vegetarian friendly)
- Slow Burn: Burn Fat Faster By Exercising Slowe by Stu Mittleman: a slower, kinder way to lose weight. 5 Star rating on Amazon.
- The 3-Day Solution Plan: Jump-start Lasting Weight Loss by Turning Off the Drive to Overeat [BURST:] Lose up to 6 pounds in 3 days! this is a great book that gets to the root of how we relate to food and by understanding that you can change how you eat.
- Tim Ferris "Slow Carb" Diet
- Weight Watchers -easy online program to manage your calories without having to count calories.
Exercise Tips to Lose Belly Fat
When trying to lose belly fat the important thing to remember is to include whole body exercises and to rotate your workouts in order to continually provide a challenge for your body. Otherwise your body becomes acclimated and does not receive as much benefit as if you vary your workouts. So for example if you always jog 30 minutes every day, that will be less effective than if you do different types of workouts every few days. Here are the exercise tips for losing tummy fat:
1. Do 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. Brisk walking or jogging are great low cost exercises to do, but anything that you enjoy and that gets your heart rate up is fine. Shoot for at least 3-5 times per week at a minimum. Here is an excellent article on varying your jogging workouts.
2. Do whole body workouts 2-3 times per week such as yoga (strenuous) or Pilates or a weight-lifting program. These types of exercises will build muscle, increase metabolism, and make losing fat easier. Here is a link to my favorite yoga and Pilates videos .
3. Instead of cruches, try these Army exercises that strengthen and tone your stomach as part of a whole body workout.
4. Hold your stomach muscles in during the day whenever you can think of it. This will strengthen your abdominal girdle and create a flatter stomach.
5. Sit up straight and pull in your stomach muscles when sitting. You might want to create physical reminders to do this such as a post-it note at your desk or a loose rubber band around your wrist.
6. Stretching. Take breaks throughout the day to do back bending stretches that will stretch out your stomach muscles and keep them from becoming shortened which is not good for your stomach or your back.
Anti-Stress Strategies for Losing Belly Fat
You may have seen commercials for supplements that will help you regulate the hormone cortisol in order to lose belly fat. Well controlling cortisol is very good idea, however supplements are not the way to go. What you want to do is reduce the stress that produces the cortisol hormone.
Cortisol is a hormone that regulates carbohydrate metabolism and blood pressure. When you encounter stress, including lack of sleep, cortisol boosts your energy level by producing glucose. If you have chronically high stress levels then you'll have too much of this hormone. This will keep your appetite stimulated and also keeps glucose production high. The body converts excess glucose into fat, which is usually stored in the midsection for quick access by your body.
How do you neutralize the stress of daily life? With relaxation techniques. Here are some helpful ideas:
1. Get Enough Sleep. Only you know how much sleep you need, but if you are routinely dragging during the day feeling sleepy, lethargic, exhausted, etc., then you probably need to get more sleep.
2. De-Stress Breaks. Take small breaks throughout the day, say every 1-3 hours. On the break you can:
- Take a 5-10 minute walk
- Try some yoga at your desk.
- Take a Meditation "Nap"
3. Try Tai Chi, Qigong, or Yoga a few times a week.
- Here are a list of my favorite yoga videos .
- Here are two Qigong videos I recommend:
- Qigong for Stress Relief - Francesco Garripoli
- Qigong beginning practice - Francesco Garripoli
4. Meditate Daily. Meditate for 10-20 minutes 1-2 times per day, once in the morning and once in the later part of the day. This will set the tone for your day and help curb the automatic stress response. Here are two recommended meditation guides:
- 8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life. by Victor Davich
- Meditation for Beginners by Meditation for Beginners (DVD)
- Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat Zinn
- Guided Mindfulness Meditation (Guided Mindfulness) by Jon Kabat Zinn
5. Calming Guidance. Consider listening to positive audio tapes in your car or on your daily exercise. The one that I highly recommend is Andrew Matthews, "Happiness and Success" audio program. The website is one of those salesy sites, but never fear, this is probably the best self-help product I ever bought. I listen to it often and always refer my friends to his books and audio programs.
Other Considerations When Trying to Lose Belly Fat
1. Hypothyroidism. If you follow all these steps and can't lose weight check with your doctor as you may have an under active thyroid which can throw off your metabolism and cause you to gain weight.
2. Buddy Up for Success. Enlist a friend, colleague, or family member to join your challenge. You'll be more successful if you have someone to encourage and push you!
3. Hire a Personal Trainer. Think of all the stuff you buy that you don't need. Why not spend money on something that could make a real difference in your health? This is great if you need help with discipline or with crafting an exercise routine.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Bush Quotes
The tragicomic presidency of George W. Bush, in his own words
50. "I promise you I will listen to what has been said here, even though I wasn't here." -at the President's Economic Forum in Waco, Texas, Aug. 13, 2002
49. "We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease." -Gothenburg, Sweden, June 14, 2001
48. "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test." -Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001
47. "I am here to make an announcement that this Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport." --Washington, D.C., Oct. 3, 2001
46. "Tribal sovereignty means that; it's sovereign. I mean, you're a -- you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed as a sovereign entity. And therefore the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities." --Washington, D.C., Aug. 6, 2004 (Watch video clip)
45. "I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Hanukkah." --at a White House menorah lighting ceremony, Washington, D.C., Dec. 10, 2001 (Listen to audio clip)
44. "You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror." --interview with CBS News' Katie Couric, Sept. 6, 2006
43. "The same folks that are bombing innocent people in Iraq were the ones who attacked us in America on September the 11th." --Washington, D.C., July 12, 2007
42. "I'm the commander -- see, I don't need to explain -- I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president." --as quoted in Bob Woodward's Bush at War
41. "F*ck Saddam. We're taking him out." --to three U.S. senators in March 2002, one year before the Iraq invasion, as quoted by Time magazine
40. "Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties." --discussing the Iraq war with Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson in 2003, as quoted by Robertson
39. "I will not withdraw, even if Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me." --talking to key Republicans about Iraq, as quoted by Bob Woodward
38. "I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft." --presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004 (Watch video clip)
37. "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." --Greater Nashua, N.H., Chamber of Commerce, Jan. 27, 2000 (Listen to audio clip )
36. "Do you have blacks, too?" --to Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso, Washington, D.C., Nov. 8, 2001
35. "This foreign policy stuff is a little frustrating." --as quoted by the New York Daily News, April 23, 2002
34. "We need an energy bill that encourages consumption." --Trenton, N.J., Sept. 23, 2002
33. "My plan reduces the national debt, and fast. So fast, in fact, that economists worry that we're going to run out of debt to retire." --radio address, Feb. 24, 2001
32. "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." --on "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina
31. "I would say the best moment of all was when I caught a 7.5 pound largemouth bass in my lake." --on his best moment in office, interview with the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, May 7, 2006
30. "They misunderestimated me." --Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000
29. "Because the -- all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those -- changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be -- or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled." --explaining his plan to save Social Security, Tampa, Fla., Feb. 4, 2005
28. "For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-fatal shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in America. It's just unacceptable. And we're going to do something about it." --Philadelphia, Penn., May 14, 2001
27. "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." --Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000
26. "This is an impressive crowd -- the haves and the have mores. Some people call you the elite -- I call you my base." ÃÆ'¢â‚¬â€œat the 2000 Al Smith dinner
25. "Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." --LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000
24. "I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe -- I believe what I believe is right." --Rome, Italy, July 22, 2001
23. "See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." --Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005 (Listen to audio clip)
22. "People say, how can I help on this war against terror? How can I fight evil? You can do so by mentoring a child; by going into a shut-in's house and say I love you." --Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2002
21. "I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it...I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with answer, but it hadn't yet...I don't want to sound like I have made no mistakes. I'm confident I have. I just haven't -- you just put me under the spot here, and maybe I'm not as quick on my feet as I should be in coming up with one." --after being asked to name the biggest mistake he had made, Washington, D.C., April 3, 2004
20. "You forgot Poland." --to Sen. John Kerry during the first presidential debate, after Kerry failed to mention Poland's contributions to the Iraq war coalition, Miami, Fla., Sept. 30, 2004
19. "We've got a lot of rebuilding to do. First, we're going to save lives and stabilize the situation. And then we're going to help these communities rebuild. The good news is -- and it's hard for some to see it now -- that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter) --touring hurricane damage, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005
18. "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." --State of the Union Address, Jan. 28, 2003, making a claim that administration officials knew at the time to be false
17. "The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." --Washington, D.C., Sept. 13, 2001
16. "I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." --Washington, D.C., March 13, 2002
15. "Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?" --Florence, South Carolina, Jan. 11, 2000
14. "Can we win? I don't think you can win it." --after being asked whether the war on terror was winnable, "Today" show interview, Aug. 30, 2004
13. "I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace." --Washington, D.C. June 18, 2002
12. "I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn't do my job." --to a group of Amish he met with privately, July 9, 2004
11. "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed." --speaking underneath a "Mission Accomplished" banner aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, May 1, 2003
10. "We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories ... And we'll find more weapons as time goes on. But for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." --Washington, D.C., May 30, 2003
9. "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere!" --joking about his administration's failure to find WMDs in Iraq as he narrated a comic slideshow during the Radio & TV Correspondents' Association dinner, Washington, D.C., March 24, 2004 (Read more)
8. "If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." --Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2000 (Listen to audio clip)
7. "I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary of Defense." --Washington, D.C. April 18, 2006 ( Read more; listen to audio clip; watch video clip)
6. "There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on --shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again." --Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 (Watch video clip)
5. "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." --Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004 (Watch video clip)
4. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." --Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004 (Watch video clip)
3. "You work three jobs? ... Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." --to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005 (Listen to audio clip)
2. "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." --to FEMA director Michael Brown, who resigned 10 days later amid criticism over his handling of the Hurricane Katrina debacle, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005 (Listen to audio clip; watch video clip)
1. "My answer is bring them on." --on Iraqi insurgents attacking U.S. forces, Washington, D.C., July 3, 2003
~Compiled by Daniel Kurtzman
49. "We spent a lot of time talking about Africa, as we should. Africa is a nation that suffers from incredible disease." -Gothenburg, Sweden, June 14, 2001
48. "You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test." -Townsend, Tenn., Feb. 21, 2001
47. "I am here to make an announcement that this Thursday, ticket counters and airplanes will fly out of Ronald Reagan Airport." --Washington, D.C., Oct. 3, 2001
46. "Tribal sovereignty means that; it's sovereign. I mean, you're a -- you've been given sovereignty, and you're viewed as a sovereign entity. And therefore the relationship between the federal government and tribes is one between sovereign entities." --Washington, D.C., Aug. 6, 2004 (Watch video clip)
45. "I couldn't imagine somebody like Osama bin Laden understanding the joy of Hanukkah." --at a White House menorah lighting ceremony, Washington, D.C., Dec. 10, 2001 (Listen to audio clip)
44. "You know, one of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror." --interview with CBS News' Katie Couric, Sept. 6, 2006
43. "The same folks that are bombing innocent people in Iraq were the ones who attacked us in America on September the 11th." --Washington, D.C., July 12, 2007
42. "I'm the commander -- see, I don't need to explain -- I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being president." --as quoted in Bob Woodward's Bush at War
41. "F*ck Saddam. We're taking him out." --to three U.S. senators in March 2002, one year before the Iraq invasion, as quoted by Time magazine
40. "Oh, no, we're not going to have any casualties." --discussing the Iraq war with Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson in 2003, as quoted by Robertson
39. "I will not withdraw, even if Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me." --talking to key Republicans about Iraq, as quoted by Bob Woodward
38. "I hear there's rumors on the Internets that we're going to have a draft." --presidential debate, St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 8, 2004 (Watch video clip)
37. "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family." --Greater Nashua, N.H., Chamber of Commerce, Jan. 27, 2000 (Listen to audio clip )
36. "Do you have blacks, too?" --to Brazilian President Fernando Cardoso, Washington, D.C., Nov. 8, 2001
35. "This foreign policy stuff is a little frustrating." --as quoted by the New York Daily News, April 23, 2002
34. "We need an energy bill that encourages consumption." --Trenton, N.J., Sept. 23, 2002
33. "My plan reduces the national debt, and fast. So fast, in fact, that economists worry that we're going to run out of debt to retire." --radio address, Feb. 24, 2001
32. "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees." --on "Good Morning America," Sept. 1, 2005, six days after repeated warnings from experts about the scope of damage expected from Hurricane Katrina
31. "I would say the best moment of all was when I caught a 7.5 pound largemouth bass in my lake." --on his best moment in office, interview with the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, May 7, 2006
30. "They misunderestimated me." --Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000
29. "Because the -- all which is on the table begins to address the big cost drivers. For example, how benefits are calculate, for example, is on the table; whether or not benefits rise based upon wage increases or price increases. There's a series of parts of the formula that are being considered. And when you couple that, those different cost drivers, affecting those -- changing those with personal accounts, the idea is to get what has been promised more likely to be -- or closer delivered to what has been promised. Does that make any sense to you? It's kind of muddled." --explaining his plan to save Social Security, Tampa, Fla., Feb. 4, 2005
28. "For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-fatal shootings. And, folks, this is unacceptable in America. It's just unacceptable. And we're going to do something about it." --Philadelphia, Penn., May 14, 2001
27. "I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully." --Saginaw, Mich., Sept. 29, 2000
26. "This is an impressive crowd -- the haves and the have mores. Some people call you the elite -- I call you my base." ÃÆ'¢â‚¬â€œat the 2000 Al Smith dinner
25. "Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream." --LaCrosse, Wis., Oct. 18, 2000
24. "I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe -- I believe what I believe is right." --Rome, Italy, July 22, 2001
23. "See, in my line of work you got to keep repeating things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in, to kind of catapult the propaganda." --Greece, N.Y., May 24, 2005 (Listen to audio clip)
22. "People say, how can I help on this war against terror? How can I fight evil? You can do so by mentoring a child; by going into a shut-in's house and say I love you." --Washington, D.C., Sept. 19, 2002
21. "I wish you'd have given me this written question ahead of time so I could plan for it...I'm sure something will pop into my head here in the midst of this press conference, with all the pressure of trying to come up with answer, but it hadn't yet...I don't want to sound like I have made no mistakes. I'm confident I have. I just haven't -- you just put me under the spot here, and maybe I'm not as quick on my feet as I should be in coming up with one." --after being asked to name the biggest mistake he had made, Washington, D.C., April 3, 2004
20. "You forgot Poland." --to Sen. John Kerry during the first presidential debate, after Kerry failed to mention Poland's contributions to the Iraq war coalition, Miami, Fla., Sept. 30, 2004
19. "We've got a lot of rebuilding to do. First, we're going to save lives and stabilize the situation. And then we're going to help these communities rebuild. The good news is -- and it's hard for some to see it now -- that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch." (Laughter) --touring hurricane damage, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005
18. "The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa." --State of the Union Address, Jan. 28, 2003, making a claim that administration officials knew at the time to be false
17. "The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." --Washington, D.C., Sept. 13, 2001
16. "I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." --Washington, D.C., March 13, 2002
15. "Rarely is the questioned asked: Is our children learning?" --Florence, South Carolina, Jan. 11, 2000
14. "Can we win? I don't think you can win it." --after being asked whether the war on terror was winnable, "Today" show interview, Aug. 30, 2004
13. "I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace." --Washington, D.C. June 18, 2002
12. "I trust God speaks through me. Without that, I couldn't do my job." --to a group of Amish he met with privately, July 9, 2004
11. "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended. In the battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed." --speaking underneath a "Mission Accomplished" banner aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, May 1, 2003
10. "We found the weapons of mass destruction. We found biological laboratories ... And we'll find more weapons as time goes on. But for those who say we haven't found the banned manufacturing devices or banned weapons, they're wrong, we found them." --Washington, D.C., May 30, 2003
9. "Those weapons of mass destruction have got to be somewhere!" --joking about his administration's failure to find WMDs in Iraq as he narrated a comic slideshow during the Radio & TV Correspondents' Association dinner, Washington, D.C., March 24, 2004 (Read more)
8. "If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." --Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2000 (Listen to audio clip)
7. "I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary of Defense." --Washington, D.C. April 18, 2006 ( Read more; listen to audio clip; watch video clip)
6. "There's an old saying in Tennessee -- I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee -- that says, fool me once, shame on --shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again." --Nashville, Tenn., Sept. 17, 2002 (Watch video clip)
5. "Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country." --Poplar Bluff, Mo., Sept. 6, 2004 (Watch video clip)
4. "Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we." --Washington, D.C., Aug. 5, 2004 (Watch video clip)
3. "You work three jobs? ... Uniquely American, isn't it? I mean, that is fantastic that you're doing that." --to a divorced mother of three, Omaha, Nebraska, Feb. 4, 2005 (Listen to audio clip)
2. "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job." --to FEMA director Michael Brown, who resigned 10 days later amid criticism over his handling of the Hurricane Katrina debacle, Mobile, Ala., Sept. 2, 2005 (Listen to audio clip; watch video clip)
1. "My answer is bring them on." --on Iraqi insurgents attacking U.S. forces, Washington, D.C., July 3, 2003
~Compiled by Daniel Kurtzman
Wednesday, November 07, 2007
The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Food
The Ultimate Guide to Freezing Food
This two-part article looks at the many ways to freeze food (including specifics for common food types), as well as a few suggestions for getting the most out of your freezer itself. It can be a wonderful piece of equipment.
Chances are that when you buy a new refrigerator, the freezer just comes along for the ride. It's a part of the kitchen that most people don't spend much time thinking about.
It can be, however, an extremely efficient tool for putting aside excess food for later use. If you enjoy saving time when preparing your evening meal; being able to add fruit to your breakfast all through the year; or just love the idea of having home-made sorbet on hand whenever you like - read on.
The basics of freezing
No matter what type of food you're freezing, there are several basic guidelines that will make your life easier, and help you get the best results. These are :
- Freezing can retain quality, but not increase it. Begin with good quality food.
- Try to prevent air coming in contact with the food, and moisture from escaping. Both of these will dry things out, and can ' burn' them in many cases.
- Freeze foods as quickly as possible. This will minimise the size of ice crystals that will form, limiting the damage to the food when thawed.
- Foods should be slightly undercooked when frozen if they are to be reheated when thawed.
- Only put as much food in the freezer as will freeze within the next 24 hours or so (usually about 2-3lb per cubic foot).
- Rather than freezing spices, add them just prior to serving a meal. They can change colour and flavour when frozen.
- Label things so you know when they were frozen, and when to take them out.
How to freeze vegetables
Most vegetables freeze quite well (they'll happily stay frozen for several months). Where possible, use the youngest and most tender of those available.
Here's what's involved :
Preparation
- Clean the vegetables to remove as much dirt as possible.
- Trim them, removing any unwanted stalks and leaves.
- Cut them into bite-size portions.
Blanching
Many vegetables contain a number of enzymes which cause them to lose their colour and flavour when frozen. Blanching (putting the vegetables briefly in boiling water) stops these enzymes from acting.
To blanch the vegetables, set up a pan of boiling water beside a bowl of ice water. Using a slotted spoon, put a small handful of vegetables into the boiling water for a couple of minutes*, then transfer it to the ice water (to stop it cooking). Pat it dry, and put it aside. Repeat with the rest.
* times vary, so here are the recommended blanching times for a number of common vegetables :
| Vegetable | Blanching time |
| Asparagus | Wash, sort by size. Snap off tough ends. Blanch for 2-3 min. |
| Beans | Wash. Trim ends. Cut if desired.Blanch for 2-3 min. |
| Beetroot | Wash. Remove tops, leaving about an inch. Cook until tender (25–30 min for small beets; 45-50 for large ones). Cool promptly, peel, trim tap root and stem. Cut into slices or cubes. Pack into freezer containers. |
| Broccoli | Wash. Trim leaves. Cut into pieces. Blanch for 3 min. |
| Brussels sprouts | Wash. Remove outer leaves. Blanch for 4-5 min. |
| Cabbage | Wash. Discard course outer leaves. If shredded, blanch for about 1.5 min. For wedges, blanch for 3-4 min. |
| Carrots | Wash, peel and trim. Cut if desired. Blanch for 2 min (small carrots) - 5 min (large ones). |
| Cauliflower | Discard leaves and stem, wash. Break into flowerets or leave small heads whole. Add 1 tbsp vinegar to water, and blanch for 6 min. |
| Corn on the cob | Remove husks and silks. Trim ends. Blanch medium-sized ears for 8 min. Wrap ears individually in plastic wrap or freezer bags. |
| Eggplant | Wash, peel, slice 1/3 inch thick. Blanch for 4 min in water containing a tablespoon of citric acid or lemon juice. |
| Herbs | Wash. Snip or leave on stalks. For basil only, blanch for a minute. For other herbs, blanching is not necessary. Freeze in a single layer on trays or baking sheets. |
| Mushrooms | Wipe with damp paper towel. Trim. May be frozen without blanching. |
Once all the vegetables have been blanched and cooled, pack them straight into containers or bags. Alternatively, lay them out on baking sheets / trays and freeze them like this (put them into containers or bags later - they'll fit better, and can be easily broken up).
How long will they last?
Frozen vegetables will generally last for 3-6 months.
Cooking with frozen vegetables
Frozen vegetables can generally be cooked when still frozen (no defrosting required), although some leafy greens are easier to separate when thawed a little.
To boil them, use about 1/2 cup of water for every 2 cups of vegetables (the rest is already in the ice). Steaming and microwaving are also good options.
How to freeze fruit
When it comes to freezing fruit, different types are treated in different ways. Before we get into specifics, here are a few general guidelines :
- Berries do well when frozen straight after harvesting. Apples, plums and peaches may need to wait a few days before hitting the freezer.
- Small whole fruits (such as cherries) can be frozen on trays for later use in salads, drinks and garnishes.
- Most fruits can be happily frozen for 8-12 months. Citrus fruits and juices should only be kept 4-6 months.
The general process for freezing fruit is to clean, trim and slice it; place it on trays or hard containers, and cover it with a mild syrup to prevent it from going brown. The specific steps for a number of common fruits are listed below, but first : the anti-browning syrup.
Preventing the fruit from going brown
If the fruit is likely to darken when frozen (see table below), simply cover the pieces with ascorbic acid or citrus juice (in the case of firm fruits, they can even be steamed). To do this :
Ascorbic acid : this can usually be purchased from pharmacies or supermarkets. If you're unable to find any, just crush up a couple of Vitamin C tablets and add a little water.
Citrus juice : although this isn't quite as effective as the ascorbic acid, it definitely helps. Add a few tablespoons of juice to a quart of cold water, and soak the fruit pieces in it for a minute or two. Afterwards, pat them dry, put them in the containers and cover them with sugar, syrup, water or fruit juice.
Packing
Prior to freezing, the fruit is 'packed' or placed into containers and covered with acid, syrup, water, fruit juice or sugar. This prevents the fruit from losing quality whilst frozen - when thawed it should be identical to a freshly picked piece.
Common methods of packing include :
Syrup pack : a 30% syrup (a third sugar, the rest water) is recommended for most fruits (very sour fruits may need a little more sugar). When the syrup is cold, pour about 1/2 cup into the container. Add the fruit, and then cover with the syrup. Make sure to leave a bit of space at the top of the container (it'll expand slightly).
Sugar pack : sprinkle a little sugar over the fruit, and mix gently with a large spoon. The sugar will help to draw the excess juice out of the fruit.
Once again, make sure there's a bit of room at the top of the container.
Unsweetened pack : use water (with ascorbic acid if necessary) to cover the fruit. Allow some headspace for expansion.
Tray pack : spread small, whole fruits out in single layers on trays or baking sheets. Once frozen, repack them into bags or containers and put back in the freezer.
As they're already frozen, there's no need to allow for expansion in the containers.
The process itself
Details of the process for common fruits are :
| Fruit | Preparation |
| Apples | Wash, peel, core, and cut into pie slices. Cover with ascorbic acid. |
| Apricots, Peaches and Nectarines | Wash in cold water and sort. Dip apricots or nectarines in boiling water until skins loosen, about 15 to 20 seconds. Chill, peel, halve and remove stones. Pack with syrup (above). |
| Bananas | Peel and mash thoroughly. Add 1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid or lemon juice per cup of mashed banana. Package, seal, and freeze. |
| Berries | Wash and sort. Pack in syrup. |
| Cherries | Wash, sort, stem, and pit. Pack in syrup; add ½ teaspoon ascorbic acid. |
| Citrus Fruit | Wash, peel, section or slice fruit. Add ¼ teaspoon ascorbic acid to some sugar, and sprinkle over each layer. Let stand in refrigerator until fruit forms its own juice. Stir gently, and freeze. |
| Cranberries | Wash, sort and pack without sugar. |
| Currants (use large varieties where possible) | Wash in cold water and sort. Pack in sugar using 1 cup sugar to 8-9 cups fruit. For cooking, pack dry without sugar. |
| Gooseberries | Wash and sort. Pack without sugar or syrup or mix berries and sugar called for in pie recipe. |
| Melons | Wash. Cut flesh into ½- to ¾-inch cubes or balls. Cover with sugar syrup, using 2 cups sugar to 1 quart water. Serve partially frozen. |
| Pineapple | Peel and core. Dice, slice or cut into wedges. Cover with syrup. |
| Rhubarb | Remove leaves and woody ends, wash and cut in 1-inch lengths. Do not blanch. Pack with sugar. |
| Strawberries | Wash, sort and stem. Pack whole, sliced, or crushed berries in a light syrup. |
| Tomatoes | Cook completely (boil) prior to freezing. |
How to freeze nuts
Most nuts (whether whole or chopped, shells or not) freeze quite well. To do this, simply double-bag them in freezer bags; and pop them in the freezer.
They'll keep for around 6 months.
Do the nuts need to be defrosted prior to use?
This varies according to the way you intend to use them. For dishes that are going to be heated in any case (such as stir fries ), using them frozen is fine.
If you're going to eat them as they are (say you're sprinkling them on ice-cream), thaw them a little first. They'll taste better.
How to freeze meats
Whilst the frozen vegetables, fruit and nuts are all great to have; for most people the core of their freezer use centres around meat. After all, this is where the big financial savings come in (more on that in part II).
Although freezing meat is a fairly straightforward process, there are a few things to keep in mind :
- Freezing meat doesn't magically reverse spoiling. Make sure the meat is fresh to begin with.
- If you've ever tried to separate a couple of pieces of frozen meat, you'll know just how frustrating it can be. If you're putting two or more pieces in the same bag or container, place a couple of sheets of freezer paper between them.
- Game meats should be dressed and cleaned as soon as possible after shooting. There is no need to stuff them before freezing.
- Label things with the date by which they should be used .
The general process
To freeze meat, simply :
- Trim fat and remove unnecessary bones
- Cut into meal-sized portions
- Place into freezer bags, plastic containers or wrap in foil or freezer paper (make sure to separate pieces with paper or foil)
- Place in the freezer for desired time (maximum storage times listed below)
Nice and simple.
How long will it last?
Meats vary a little; depending on type, whether they're cooked or not and the amount of liquid in them. Here are a few suggested times :
| Type | Time |
| Large cuts of meat (such as steaks) | 6-12 months |
| Ground or minced meat | 3 months |
| Cooked meats | 1-2 months |
| Bacon and cured hams | 1 month |
| Hotdogs, lunchmeats and shaved meats | 1-2 weeks |
NB : For meats bought at the supermarket, they're probably already packed in some form. Before freezing them, cut them to size (one piece per meal) and repack them. This will get rid of the excess gases and fluids which were present when purchased.
Freezing Seafood
Seafood can certainly be frozen, and fresh seafood freezes well. A few points to keep in mind :
- Freeze the seafood as soon as possible after it's caught
- Whole fish should be gutted and cleaned
- Once frozen, take out of the freezer, dip in water and put back in (this forms a protective coating)
- Smoked fish tastes slightly salty after freezing
- Freeze small fish whole, and cut larger fish into steaks prior to freezing
- All varieties of seafood can be frozen (for specifics, see the table below)
Freezing seafood other than fish
There are many, many varieties of seafood available - and several ways to freeze it. The following table lists the process for several common items.
| Food | Process |
| Lobster | Cook in salted, boiling water for 8-10 min. Place in bags or containers, and cover with brine. Freeze. To use, boil for another 8-10 minutes (from frozen). |
| Scallops | Rinse well to remove sand and shell. Drain, place in bags or containers and cover with brine; freeze. |
| Clams and Mussels | Rinse well. Steam until opened, and remove shells. Cover with brine and freeze. |
| Prawns | The shells can be left on. Simply put them in containers, cover with water and pop them in the freezer. |
| Squid and Octopus | Freezing actually tenderises the meat. Clean and gut them, place in an airtight bag and throw them in. |
| Oysters | Rinse well. Shuck, cover with their own liquid and freeze. NB : Oysters can also be frozen invidually (in their own liquid) in ice-cube trays. |
How long does it last?
Most fish will last for a few months or more. Here's the breakdown :
| Food | Time |
| Oily fish | Up to 3 months |
| Smoked fish | Up to 3 months |
| Other fish | Up to 6 months |
| Oysters | Up to 6 months |
| Prawns | Up to 3 months |
| Squid and Octopus | Up to 3 months |
Freezing Pastries
Most pastries freeze extremely well (my own freezer is generally filled with them). A few things to keep in mind :
- Custard and cream don't freeze terribly well (they both soak into the base). If you're planning to add some, wait until you're ready to eat it.
- Meringue toppings tend to toughen during freezing. As with the cream, add it just before serving.
- Sheets of pastry are notoriously difficult to separate when frozen. Make sure there's a sheet of freezer paper between each one.
Overall, it's a straightforward process. Place individual items in bags or plastic containers; and stack sheets with freezer paper between each.
Both cooked and uncooked pastry can be frozen.
How long does it last?
Pastry generally keeps well. A few approximate times :
| Food | Time |
| Baked pastries with fruit fillings | 3-4 months |
| Baked pastry (plain) | 2-3 months |
| Unbaked pastry | 6-8 weeks |
| Pumpkin pie | 4-5 weeks |
What not to freeze
Foods that do not freeze well include :
- mayonnaise
- cream puddings and fillings
- custard
- gelatin salads
- cheese
- the whites of hard-cooked eggs and uncooked egg yolks
- gravies made with wheat flour
- spices
Final thoughts on freezing food
Freezing food can be a great way to save money, make sure your favourites are available all year and cut down on food waste. Leftovers are often ready for re-use in another form.
As far as food safety is concerned, freezing food - for any length of time - is safe to eat. The various 'best before' times noted above simply refer to the flavours and appearance of the food.
Saturday, November 03, 2007
10 Smartest Ways to Live Beneath Your Means
Sent to you by J. Todd via Google Reader:
via Dumb Little Man - Tips for Life by Jay White on 10/23/07
I managed to retire at age 51, and the way I did it was to live beneath my means.
You can adopt this strategy too, by simply spending less than you earn. You may think that's impossible for you, but if you make it a challenge instead of a chore, you'll soon be creating ways to cut corners in everything you do. And believe me, it all adds up.
There are no secrets to this strategy. It's just common sense. Here are my 10 favorite ways to live beneath your means:
- Whenever possible, buy store brands. Nearly half the cost for name brands goes to advertising. Usually their quality isn't any better than store brands, which frequently carry a money back guarantee. This is true not only with food, but also cleaning supplies and paper products. Even if the savings are small on an individual item, using this strategy every time you shop makes a big difference. Remember, this is a long-term plan.
- Avoid prepared foods.We're all pressed for time, but buying prepared foods can be expensive. You pay extra for the convenience and get a meal full of chemicals and preservatives too. Instead, put your main course in a Crock Pot before you leave for work, or put frozen meat in the refrigerator to thaw before you go to bed. Once you learn to plan ahead, you'll be surprised how much you'll save.
- Shop at "you-bag-it" supermarkets. Stores like Aldi and Save-a-Lot can cut your grocery bill substantially. When you're not subsidizing a store's deli section, flower shop, or bakery, you'll find the rest of the food cheaper. No-frills supermarkets cut overhead by having fewer employees, smaller buildings to heat and cool, and primarily store brands. You'll quickly notice the savings.
- Brown bag your lunch. I did this for years and it saved me thousands. Brown bagging has three benefits: You'll avoid greasy, high-calorie fast food; you'll save money; and you'll be more satisfied on your job, since lunch with coworkers often turns into gripe sessions.
- Don't buy clothes or shoes with designer labels. Who do you want to make rich, some fashion designer, or you? That trendy label will cost you at least 50% extra. Instead of impressing your friends, impress yourself by adding that savings to your bank account.
- Use coupons, but be smart about it. When a name brand product still costs more than a store brand, even after the deduction for a coupon, it's no bargain. Most coupons are for new products companies want you to try, so be selective. You can get coupons online at sites like Coupons.com or Couponcabin.com, or search under "coupons."
- Buy used books instead of new. I visit two used book sales a year put on by local charities and get an armload of reading for less than $15. I choose used books on Amazon.com. I got my copy of The Purpose Driven Life on Amazon, paying the standard $3.99 shipping and handling, but only 39 cents for a used copy. Even better? Check out books for free at your local public library. Most libraries have DVDs and CDs, too.
- Keep your car as long as you can. A shiny new car may impress your family and friends, but it simply costs too much. My current car is nine years old and runs like a dream because I have it serviced regularly. Today's cars, with electronic ignition, fuel injectors and superb rust protection, can last well past 150,000 miles if taken care of.
- Severely restrict your credit card spending. Credit cards make money unreal. They take the thought process and discipline out of your buying. Before you know it, you're deep in debt and getting further behind because you can't make even the minimum monthly payment. When you pay in cash and watch those bills disappear from your wallet, you become much more careful. You relearn the value of money. You question every purchase, and that's when you become smart.
- Reward yourself for your efforts. Your goal is to be frugal, not a miser. Small rewards--within your budget--are a wise way to keep fun in your life. Living beneath your means takes self-control, but the emotional and financial benefits are tremendous. An occasional treat energizes you to keep up the good work.
Jack Zavada shares tips for being a happier, more peace-filled person at his web site, Inspiration For Singles and in his new ebook, Single & Sure.
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